Dusk
by A Beautiful Oblivion
Summary: Strange things are happening. Cats are disappearing. Will four unlikely cats be able to set things right? Takes place eight moons after The Last Hope.
1. Allegiances

**THUNDERCLAN**

**Leader: **Whitestar - white she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy: **Bumblestripe - very pale grey tom with dark black stripes

**Medicine Cat: **Jayfeather - grey tabby tom with blind blue eyes  
**Apprentice, Amberpaw**

**Warriors:**  
Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie - striped grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

Berrynose - cream-coloured tom

Hazeltail - small grey-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker - grey-and-white tom

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap - reddish tabby tom

Icecloud - white she-cat  
**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

Toadstep - black-and-white tom

Rosepetal - dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall - tortoiseshell and white she-cat  
**Apprentice, Dewpaw**

Ivypool - silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Cherrystem - ginger she-cat

Molestep - brown-and-cream tom

Lilysong - dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Seedfall - pale ginger she-cat

**Apprentices:**  
Amberpaw - grey she-cat with white muzzle and paws

Dewpaw - dark grey tom with amber eyes

Snowpaw - white tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**  
Daisy - cream long-furred cat from the Horseplace

Cinderheart - grey tabby she-cat (mother to Hollykit, a black she-kit with white patches, Archkit, a pale golden tabby tom, and Honeykit, a mottled grey tabby she-kit)

Dovewing - pale grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Elders:**  
Greystripe - long-haired grey tom

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

**SHADOWCLAN**

**Leader:** Rowanstar - ginger tom

**Deputy:** Snowbird - pure white she-cat

**Medicine Cat:** Littlecloud - very small tabby tom  
**Apprentice, Flypaw**

**Warriors:**  
Smokefoot - black tom

Toadfoot - dark brown tom

Crowfrost - black-and-white tom

Ratscar - brown tom with long scar across his back

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Olivenose - tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot - grey she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur - dark grey tom  
**Apprentice, Webpaw**

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom

Pinenose - black she-cat

Ferretclaw - cream-and-grey tom  
**Apprentice, Mountainpaw**

Starlingwing - ginger tom

Kinkfur - tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Stoatclaw - ginger tom

Dewdrop - grey she-cat

Mistwind - pale grey she-cat

Sparrowfrost - tabby tom

**Apprentices:**  
Flypaw - black-and-white tom

Webpaw - dark grey tabby tom

Mountainpaw - pale brown tabby she-cat

**Queens:**  
Applefur - mottled brown she-cat (mother to Marshkit, Grasskit, and Frogkit)

Dawnpelt - cream-furred she-cat (mother to Flamekit)

**Elders:**  
Oakfur - small brown tom

Snaketail- dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater - white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

**WINDCLAN**

**Leader:** Onestar - brown tabby tom

**Deputy:** Crowfeather - dark grey tom

**Medicine Cat:** Kestrelflight - brown tom with white patches  
**Apprentice, Firepaw**

**Warriors:**  
Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom

Gorsetail - very pale grey-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws

Harespring - brown-and-white tom

Leaftail - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot - grey tom with two dark paws

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhisker - light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail - dark grey she-cat  
**Apprentice, Gustpaw**

Whiskernose - light brown tom

Furzepelt - grey-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur - large pale grey tom

Crouchfoot - black tom

Larkfeather - grey she-cat

**Apprentices:**  
Firepaw - fluffy light brown tabby tom

Gustpaw - dark grey tom

**Queens:**  
Whitetail - small white she-cat (mother to Brownkit, Frostkit, Moorkit, and Tumblekit)

Sunstrike - tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead (mother to Ivykit and Rockkit)

**Elders:**  
Webfoot - dark grey tabby tom

Tornear - tabby tom

Ashfoot - grey she-cat

**RIVERCLAN**

**Leader:** Mistystar - grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Hollowflight - dark brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat:** Mothwing - dappled golden she-cat  
**Apprentice, Willowshine**

**Warriors:**  
Greymist - pale grey tabby she-cat

Mintfur - light grey tabby tom

Icewing - white she-cat with blue eyes  
**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

Minnowtail - dark grey she-cat

Pebblefoot - mottled grey tom

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom

Robinwing - tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
**Apprentice, Stonepaw**

Grasspelt - light brown tom

Troutstream - pale grey tabby she-cat

Rushtail - light brown tabby tom

Heronflight - brown tabby tom

Briardapple - pale brown she-cat with white chest and paws

Cricketwing - dark grey tom

**Apprentices:**  
Willowshine - grey tabby she-cat

Stonepaw - dark grey she-cat with black paws

Snowpaw - pure white she-cat

**Queens:**  
Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Mossyfoot - brown-and-white she-cat (mother to Palekit, a mottled light grey she-kit, and Cloudkit, a fluffy grey she-kit)

Petalfur - grey-and-white she-cat (mother to Rainkit, a silver tom, Lightningkit, a ginger tom with white paws, and Shellkit, a dark brown she-kit)

**Elders:**  
Dapplenose - mottled dark grey she-cat

Pouncetail - ginger-and-white tom


	2. Prologue

Bramblestar's ear twitched. He opened his eyes, awoken by some unknown disturbance. Crickets chirped somewhere in the distance.

Fully awake now, he rolled onto his back and tucked his paws to his chest as he stared at the ceiling of his den. The rock was uneven and bumpy, and as he looked, he started to imagine them as mountains, like he was in StarClan gazing down at the land below.

The mountains and ridges all started to look the same. Grey. Bramblestar sighed and stood, careful not to disturb Squirrelflight, who slept deeply next to him, and padded outside.

The entire camp was spread out before him, again like he was in StarClan looking down. Bramblestar shook his head quickly, then bounded down the Rockpile and landed smoothly on the dirt below. He walked toward the bramble entrance, passing Molestep and Cherrystem, whom he'd just made warriors, on his way out. They sat up straighter and just nodded to him, still under vigil and unable to speak. Neither of them gave him a puzzled look; he was the leader. He could go where he pleased, no matter the time.

The night air was chilly; leaf-bare was on its way. The leaves on the trees had already changed colours and were beginning to drop. A few particularly dry ones crunched beneath Bramblestar's paws as he walked.

_Bramblestar._

He stopped mid-crunch, ears pricked. Had he imagined that?

Of course he had. Leaves didn't talk!

But there it was again. Bramblestar spun around, straining his eyes in the darkness. Was there some cat out he didn't know about? Or maybe it was ShadowClan, planning an invasion!

"Come out, Blackstar," Bramblestar hissed. "I know you're there."

"Why of course," a deep mew responded. Bramblestar stiffened as a dark shape materialized from the shadows. That was definitely _not _Blackstar. The other leader's white pelt would've stood out right away. But this cat only had patches of white on its otherwise dark pelt.

"Thistleclaw!" Bramblestar snarled, arching his back and flattening his ears.

The mottled tom stepped into the moonlight, a glint in his eye. "Hello, Bramble_star_." He spat the last syllable, unsheathing his long claws. "That name is rightfully _mine_!"

Bramblestar's growl deepened. "I _earned _it."

Thistleclaw's fur flattened, with an apparent effort on his part. "Of course you did," he meowed smoothly. "And how many moons did you serve Firestar tirelessly? How long have you been _waiting_?"

"I would rather still be deputy and he alive any day," Bramblestar retorted.

The dark tom shook his head. "You really should've listened to your father. You could've been _great_, like Hawkfrost!"

"Yeah, look at where that got him! I _killed _him."

"But you didn't kill me." Thistleclaw suddenly broke into a purr, which was more terrifying than any growl, hiss, or snarl he could've done.

"That's going to change," Bramblestar yowled, and charged forward. Thistleclaw nimbly leapt over his head, landing behind him.

"You're going to have to do better than that," the grey tom taunted. Bramblestar snarled, whirled around, and pelted after the dark warrior.

Thistleclaw always stayed out of reach, no matter how hard the leader ran. His taunting echoed off trees, making Bramblestar even angrier.

_Say goodbye to your Clan._


	3. Chapter 1

**Why is this so short.**

* * *

"And then Firestar killed Tigerstar. The Dark Forest was defeated!"

Lightningkit stared in awe at Pouncetail as he wove a story about the great battle between the Clans and dead cats from long ago.

"Unfortunately, a tree fell on Firestar and he lost his last life..." Pouncetail murmured. "He was ThunderClan leader for my entire life. He was even there when I was hit by a monster. I remember he told me everything would be all right."

Dapplenose ran her tail over his spine.

"What happened after that?" Shellkit jumped to her paws.

The grey elder blinked down at the she-kit. "Well, little one, Firestar's spirit went to StarClan. But StarClan was already waiting for him."

Lightningkit tipped his head, tucking his tail closer around his paws as he listened to the elders' story.

"They had already come down from the stars to help with the fighting, right?" Rainkit interrupted. Lightningkit rolled his eyes. _Let _them_ tell the story, mouse brain._

"That's right," Pouncetail purred. "They gave Bramblestar his nine lives right there in the hollow."

Lightningkit frowned, puzzled. "But I thought you said this happened only three moons before we were born. How come ThunderClan has a new leader already? It must take _ages _to die nine times!"

Pouncetail's gaze clouded. "Well..." He trailed off an exchanged a look with Dapplenose. She swung her broad head towards the kits and looked down at them.

"You see," she began, settling deeper into her nest, "six moons ago, ThunderClan woke up one day and Bramblestar was gone."

"_Gone_?" Rainkit interrupted again. "Where'd he go?"

The elder shook her head. "No cat knows. But his mate, Squirrelflight, and her sister went looking for him the next day. They haven't been seen since."

The three kits stared for a few seconds, then Shellkit began to purr. She pounced on Rainkit. "I'm going to make _you _disappear!" she teased.

Rainkit shrieked and went running out of the den. Shellkit pelted after him eagerly, Lightningkit trotting behind her.

His brother scampered down the short hill to the river and hid in some reeds. Lightningkit shook his head. _She'll find you in there._

And find him she did. Lightningkit sat down in the dirt and watched as Shellkit dragged a yowling Rainkit out of the reed bed. Flipping him over, she planted both forepaws on his chest and declared triumphantly, "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah," Rainkit muttered, squirming. "Now get off!"

Lightningkit's tongue stopped mid-lick on his paw. A shadow had caught the corner of his eye. "Shellkit..." he warned.

She looked up and glared at him.

Then, suddenly: "Heron!" Petalfur was running full-tilt towards her kits. "Shellkit! Rainkit!" she shrieked.

Lightningkit just stared as a huge bird with a long neck and legs swooped down and landed next to his siblings. The two kits shrunk into the dirt, trying to make themselves invisible.

But Shellkit's fear got the best of her. She yowled and darted toward the reeds, moving as fast as she could.

The heron was faster. It planted a huge clawed foot right in her path, bent its long neck down, grabbed her scruff, and was lifting off just as Petalfur reached it.

"Shellkit!" their mother howled again, already elbow-deep in the river. She crouched and sprang, reaching up with her claws to catch the great bird. But it was too high.

Lightningkit became aware of trembling fur pressed to his. He looked; Rainkit had pelted over and was now shaking into his brother's shoulder.

Shellkit's yowls faded away as the heron grew smaller in the sky.

Petalfur was pacing back and forth in the shallows of the river, Mothwing doggedly following her on shore. The rest of the Clan just stared in shock.

So did Lightningkit. "...What just happened?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Every head in the Clan turned towards him. Even Petalfur stopped pacing. She paused a few heartbeats, then padded over, wrapping her tail around her sons.

"Go back to the nursery, kits," she muttered, giving them a nudge with her nose.

"But—" Rainkit protested, ears drooping.

"_Now_." Though it was meant to be harsh, she could barely manage a whisper. Lightningkit stood up and started walking slowly away until Rainkit fell in beside him. Neither of them said anything.

"Oh, you poor kits!" Mossyfoot was on them right away as they entered the nursery. "Come lay down in your nest, there's a good kit."

Lightningkit covered his eyes with his paws, trying to block out his thoughts. He felt a cat in front of him and looked up.

"Hi," Cloudkit said warmly. She stood over him, bent slightly in his direction. Even though she was only a half-moon older than him, she always acted like she was already leader.

He sat up. "Why's everyone treating me like a little kit?" he wondered. "I'm too old for that."

Cloudkit exchanged a glance with her sister, Palekit, then moved to sit next to him, pressing her fur to his. "You must be feeling awful—"

"About _what_?" Lightningkit demanded.

"Shellkit..." Palekit began, but her sister shot her a look.

"What about her? She's coming back, isn't she?" Lightningkit looked from one she-kit to the other as they both stared at him. "What? She's... she's coming back, right?"

Cloudkit ran her tail along his spine. "Oh, Lightningkit..."

He just looked at his paws. Shellkit was _gone_? Where'd she go? He didn't know. But he did know she wasn't coming back.

"Cloudkit, Palekit." Mossyfoot was standing over them. "Let Lightningkit sleep. He's had a long day, and it's nearly sunset."

Before he could protest, he was being herded further into his nest. Rainkit lay in its very centre, curled up so tight he looked half as big as he normally did. Lightningkit settled in next to him, facing the den wall, and squeezed his eyes shut.

He felt Rainkit's still-shaking pelt next to him, and in that moment realized that he'd never again have his sister's fur brushing against his other side. His paws went over his face again.

Instead of focusing on his thoughts, Lightningkit swivelled his ears behind him. He heard Mossyfoot putting her kits to bed for the night. After a while, she moved to the back of the nursery, where she began to discuss in hushed whispers with Mosspelt and Duskfur. Though the two she-cats didn't have any kits, they were always there to help any queens that needed it, or to watch kits while their mothers were away.

"What's Mistystar going to do?" Mosspelt muttered. "First all these cats disappearing, then Shellkit..."

"She _must_ find out where our Clanmates have been disappearing to!" That was Duskfur. "Reedwhisker was her _son_, for StarClan's sake!"

"I went to see her this morning," Mosspelt told the other queen. "She didn't look too well. I think she's got whitecough."

"In _greenleaf_?" Mossyfoot sounded surprised. Though Lightningkit didn't know what whitecough was, he could guess that it didn't happen in greenleaf a lot.

"Yes, and it may be getting worse." Mossypelt's mew was grim. "She's not as young as she used to be.

"RiverClan hadn't been in a fight before the battle with the Dark Forest in a while. A couple of their warriors tore away her lives. I overheard Mothwing say she's only got three left."

Lightningkit's ears shot up. _Three?_ What would RiverClan do without Mistystar?


End file.
